WINNIPEG -- The Manitoba government has handed out more tickets to people and businesses for allegedly violating public health orders during the week public health orders were loosened further.

From March 1 to 7, enforcement officers across the province handed out 89 warnings and 19 tickets for alleged health order violations, up slightly from the previous week, when 17 tickets were issued.

The majority of the tickets, 15, were for $1,296. This is an increase from eight during the week of Feb 22–28.

Of the 15 tickets, the province said 10 were related to gatherings in private residences or outdoors.

Three tickets totalling $298 each were handed out to people who weren’t wearing masks in indoor public spaces. This is a decrease from seven tickets handed out last week for not wearing masks in public.

DJ’s Family Restaurant in Winkler was issued a $5,000 fine during the week. It was the only business fined this week.

No tickets were issued to people violating the Federal Quarantine Act.

On March 5, new public health orders took effect in Manitoba, allowing all businesses to reopen with capacity limits and physical distancing, with the exception of casinos, bingo halls, indoor theatres and indoor concert halls. Retail and restaurants can reopen with up to 50 per cent capacity.

Since April 2020, 1,028 total tickets have been handed out, and $1,423,384 in fines have been issued.